Destiny
by MysteriousUnicorn xD
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Althea lives in District Two with her family and her friend, Brutus. When her name is called for the 73rd Hunger Games, she knows it's an immediate death sentence. And as Games begins reaching a heart-racing climax, she'll have to make a life-changing choice, between love, life and friendship. What will she choose?
1. Realisation

The sun was dappling gently through the leaves, leaving a beautiful spotted-sunlight effect. I let my bronze-coloured hair fall over my shoulders and sat in the tall grass, staring out at the horizon. All of a sudden, I was aware of footsteps behind me, and I swerved around, shocked. Within moments I was on my feet and running, slipping under the fence that gently blew in the breeze.

"It's OK, Althea, it's just me," I could see the broad-shouldered man making his way toward me.

"God, Brutus," I said, staring at the man's eyes. "Don't make me jump like that!"

"It's the reaping today," Brutus went on, ignoring my remark. "I'm in so many times, I can't remember."

"It's OK, Brutus," I said. "This year's your last. If you don't go in this year, you won't have to ever again."

Brutus was still and quiet. For a moment, I thought he'd lost his tongue. He was always talking, a kind of happy-go-lucky lad, and to be quite frank he never shut up. So he must be pretty terrified to be so silent, also considering nothing scared him.

We walked silently through the dewy grass, smelling the beautiful scent of home and listening to the birds singing peacefully in the trees.

"Let's go," Brutus said, clearly unnerved by the silence. I went with everything Brutus said. He was two years older than me, a dangerous friend to have because, like his name suggested, was _brutal. _

Back in the District 2 market, it was unusually quiet. As we strolled past houses, I could see mothers desperately hugging and crying with their twelve year olds and confident, muscled eighteen year olds smiling and assuring their worried parents.

"I best get back," I smiled to Brutus as he entered his small house. It housed Brutus, his mother and three children. He nodded, but as I started to walk away, I felt a lump appear in my throat. Brutus was _following _me.

"Althea," I heard his low voice grumble. "I know I'll get picked, I just hope you don't, I don't want it to come down to the pair of us…"

"Brutus," I mumbled gently. "I have to get back. See you soon."

I hurried down the pavement, looking at my large feet enclosed in my leather boots. The buckle clinked softly as I began to run. Brutus' words unnerved me. _I don't want it to come down to the pair of us… _

I thought on this as I entered the house. My twin sisters hurried to the door. They were the complete opposite of a District 2 girl, dainty, feminine and _blonde_.

"Hello, Emmelina and Angelina," I said, looking into their cold blue eyes. They grinned, but I could see the fear behind their angel eyes. Nervously, they fiddled with the white tie around their waists and tapped with their velveteen slippers. I gasped, they looked so beautiful. Of course, it was their first reaping.

"You'll be fine, my angels," I assured them. "Y…you won't be picked."

They smiled at this, and a feeling of guilt washed over me. What if they were picked, what would I do then…

"Althea, you scoundrel," My mother appeared with a cup in her hands. "The bath is now stone-cold! I can't afford to waste water for you, you grubby old girl!" she was snapping, but a hint of humour appeared in her voice. I struggled not to laugh.

"You be quick now, your clothes are on your bed." I heard her shouting as she made her way down the corridor to comfort a crying Emmelina.

Out of the bath, I wrapped the towel around my waist and wondered over to my room, staring at the plain-plaster walls that were ripping, curling, straining to be freed. I knew how it felt. The floorboards were rough on my naked feet, but I guess I didn't care, I was so used to it.

The red dress was crumpled and creased, most of its colour faded, but it was breathtakingly beautiful. _Not the kind of dress a murderer should wear, _I thought to myself. Nonsense, in a few hours, we'd be home, I'd be putting the dress back in the wardrobe and life would go on.

I wouldn't be picked for the 73rd Hunger Games, and neither would my sisters. I knew in half an hour, we'd be stood in the District Square, gazing up at the huge screens and the ridiculously dressed woman who would decide our fate.

If you were picked, it was a death sentence. Please, don't let that death sentence belong to me.


	2. Dread

The woman stepped onto the stage. I stared at her, a feeling of intense dread and hate rippling over me. I looked over to the boys' section. There was Brutus, staring right back at me. But his face wasn't like I'd wanted it to be. It was hostile, full of hate.

"Welcome, District Two!" the woman called hastily. "To the 73rd Annual Hunger Games!"

Oh god, I thought. Her Capitol accent was so funny. So were her vibrant hair colour and ridiculously tight dress and metre-high heels. Her stupid voice echoed across our District and the feeling of dislike I'd had before had grew to a startling hate.

"Ladies first," she screamed in her hoarse, posh voice. My heart thudded in my chest and my emotions ran away with me. Sadness, anger, fear, _dread._ Memories flooded back. Shut _up, _I told myself.

By the time my head had stopped sending me down memory lane, the whole crowd was staring at me, including the woman on-stage.

"Where is she, then? Don't be shy?" she was asking, confused. She read the name again. "Althea Lockhearst, come on sweetheart!"

Oh god. That was my name.

I fumbled my way through the crowd to the stage, looking at my boots as I do when I'm nervous. I stared out at the crowd. Brutus was staring at me, shaking his head.

Brutus was right. His name was called, and he walked coolly to the stage, flashing an enchanting smile at the audience who clapped and cheered.

"Our District Two tributes," the woman shouted in her scream-like voice.

Brutus took my hand, and held it high into the air as the crowd jumped, clapped and cheered like idiots.

We were flung into the Hall Of Justice, and my sisters and mother came in.

"You will win, Althea?" Emmelina asked, fiddling with the hem of my red dress. I gulped and nodded. _Great, another unforgivable promise, _I thought as I buried myself in my jumper, shamefaced.

"Darling," Mother said. She still had the same bossy tone as usual but it wasn't humour I could sense anymore. It was dread, that familiar feeling. She hugged me then, crying onto my shoulder. "My precious girl," She wailed. "I didn't mean what I said earlier, Tea!"

I tried to comfort her, but my words came out as a feeble, weakling whisper. "I know."

I could hear my sisters howling down the corridor. I hid inside my jacket again, pulling my face to my knees. I was alone now, taking one last glimpse at my home, watching my mother and my beautiful sisters descending down the cobbles toward our house. Still, I'd rather it be me than them in the arena, they wouldn't stand a chance.

Brutus entered then, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"Brutus!" I grinned, exasperated. I saw the sadness in his eyes. "Brutus, it's fine, we're Career tributes…"

"Go away, Althea," he snapped. "I'm working alone. Never even try and come near me in those Games, or you are dead. Hear me?"

"Such a friend you are," I murmured, fiddling with a piece of bronze hair that was rippling down my shoulder. "I'll have the Careers; anyway, I don't need you."

"Fine!" he snapped, and stormed out of the enclosed room, slamming the door behind him.

As I sat, waiting for our escort and our mentor (Enobaria) to come along and fetch us for the treacherous train ride to the Capitol, I sat laughing to myself at Brutus' stupidity. He may be strong, but going solo in an arena full of god-knows-what (last year there were a spectacular amount of mutts) is never a good idea.

"Come, then, Althea, we do not have all day," I heard our Capitol mentor outside the door. We walked down the corridor and into the square. I stared around wildly, desperately trying to catch a sight of my mother and sisters, a final comfort. But I knew full well they'd be in grieving, hiding away in our house and hugging anything I'd left behind.

Brutus was walking with a Peacekeeper, and to my surprise he was _laughing._ Who _laughs _about their agonizingly painful death in a strange arena full of desperate children? I saw the Peacekeeper spin around and look at me, and they laughed again. Miffed, I shoved my hands into the delicate pockets and walked looking at my feet, my hair falling gently over my face.

"Althea, wake up," Enobaria's harsh voice was suddenly in my ears. She was young and rather beautiful. Everybody knew that she'd won the 62nd Hunger Games by ripping the other tributes throats with her teeth and had them altered when she'd won to end in sharp points and tipped with gold to remind everybody of her victory.

"I am awake," I pointed out.

Enobaria growled, flashing her beautiful teeth. "I meant pay attention, you ignorant girl! Now, follow Brutus to your carriage and I'll be there to speak to you both soon."

She stalked off down the train, to the toilets.

I followed Brutus' tall, wide shoulders to our carriage where we sat reluctantly at the same table. Then, I was staring out the window, looking for the last time at the sun dappling through the leaves in my hometown.

Then, the train pulled off and I was gone, from everything I knew and loved. And I was destined for what could be weeks of hell and at the end, death.


	3. Becoming A Career

"Althea, ignoring me won't solve anything," snapped Brutus annoyingly.

"Brutus, you're the one that said you don't want help in there," I shot back, shivering. It was cold, and wintery outside.

"Doesn't mean you can't speak to me, don't be ridiculous!" Brutus said. "I don't want to go around with the Careers. They're too flashy and brave and more likely to get killed."

I swallowed down the urge to scream in my throat as Enobaria came strolling into the room, taking a seat beside me. She started talking right away.

"As you know, it's winter," she said. "A rule breaker to the usual, so stay warm, and _form allies._" I raised my eyebrows at Brutus. "Be strong, you're Career tributes, you've trained for years for this. Althea, you're sixteen, so you're older and we all know you're capable with knives. Very capable. And Brutus, you are eighteen, a man. You're strong, fast and witty. Use these skills to your advantage."

Just then, the escort bustled into the room. She grinned at us. "My you're well behaved!" she remarked, filling our plates full of posh, warm food. "Enjoy!" she beamed and trotted over to a separate table, where she ate delicately and fussily.

Enobaria went on for hours, answering our questions patiently. Training started as soon as we'd slept our first night in the Capitol and then it was time for the stylists to be unleashed onto us.

The train journey was not long (as we live so close to the Capitol) and we were there within the end of the day. I was gazing out of the train window when the train swerved and jumped, juddering to a halt. Shiny golden buildings blazed before me and cheering, happy people waved at us. I waved back, letting a small smile to flash across my face. Afterall, popularity could be my only friend in this game.

Brutus let out a small whistle at the sight. Enobaria laughed hoarsely and remarked: "What memories this brings back, I was just like you Althea, strong, sixteen and dazed by the fact I'd got picked…" I was tuning out her voice and as the train doors swung open, I batted away crowds and clamoured to get to the warmth of the tower connected to the Training Centre.

I awoke next morning and dressed in my issued training clothes, a tight lycra suit. My heart began to thud in my chest as I strolled into the centre confidently, smiling at the other tributes. There I could see who was strong. I saw the Careers beckoning to me and I ran over willingly.

I learnt that the pretty, blonde District One girl was named Jewell. She told me she was handy with a bow. Her District partner (also blonde) was named Shine and could kill someone with one throw of a spear. The District Four tributes were quiet and never told me their names, but let on that they were going to play a dramatic scene to win themselves a trident and net.

Then there was me. The others obviously asked where Brutus was, and I told them they had no chance of him joining our group.

"His loss," Shine muttered his voice low and grumbling. He was very handsome and very, very tall. "It'll come back to bite him in the end. Ah, well, you seem pretty good, Althea, I'll give you that." He smirked and flashed his beautiful teeth.

Stop it Althea, this is the Hunger Games, it's not a place to fall in love.

Jewell and Shine were laughing at Brutus, and Shine kept draping his arm over my shoulder.

"It'll make him jealous, Althea," he explained. "Go with it."

Oh, quite honestly, Shine, I couldn't care less!

The District Four tributes taught us how to make nets that could trap tributes in order to be stabbed, shot, however you desired them to die, really. How brutal. By the end of the day, Jewell had become a friend and our alliance was stronger, and I'd learnt how to shoot with an arrow.

Every day, Brutus' cold stare bore into the back of my neck and the Careers constantly reminded me how 'he was stupid to not join our alliance'. I still wondered why he wouldn't join me. He was being ridiculous!

When the second day came, we moved on to knife throwing. I was excellent at this and the other Careers cheered, big grins appearing on their faces. The district four tributes, who were before secretive, told me their names. The strong, golden-haired male was fifteen and was named Zale and his district partner was a sixteen-year-old, with mid-length chestnut hair. Her name was Maria.

We ate together at lunch, and on my third day of training, I performed to the Gamemakers, throwing knives and spears, shooting, running at full speed and at the end, performed a bow out of courtesy.

Suddenly, a buzz inside of me says: _This is what you've trained for Althea. You've trained for years, and you'll win._

Suddenly, I can't wait for the Games, bring them on.


	4. Into the Games

Sat on the second-floor sofa, staring at the large television screen in front of me, I watched numbers and tributes whizz by. I noted that Shine scored 10, and Jewell scored 9. Then, it was our district's turn. Brutus' face flashed onto the screen, unsmiling, and his score was next, a pretty good 9. Our team cheered and clapped. Then there was mine, my knotted hair covering my left eye. For a change, I looked almost menacing. I scored 10, and the team congratulated me.

"I'm tired," I said. I wanted to stay up, so badly, but tomorrow was the Games, and I needed rest. I enclosed myself in my room, and fell backwards onto the soft bed. Tomorrow, if I lived, I'd become a killing machine, and I don't want that. I'd rather die than that happen.

I thought of Emmelina and Angelina, and mother, back home. They'd despair if I never came home, but they probably would have changed. They don't welcome killers into their home. _Shut up, Althea, you're going to win. _I buried my face into the pillow, breathing in the smell of Capitol. It was a warm, inviting smell and yet I hated it. I loved the harsh, yet beautiful smell of home, of the stones bashing together. What I would do to be back home, working alongside the other masons again, skipping school, walking in the beautiful fields. A single tear dropped onto the pillow. I blinked, I am not weak.

Then I settled down, hugging the spare pillow and delving into a deep dream. A dream I had not expected, but should've done. A dream of my own death.

The next morning, I was awoken by Enobaria shouting at me. She ordered me to shower and come down to the dining room. I replied a feeble _Yes_ and showered, letting the warmth run over my body. I dressed in the allocated clothes, a short sleeved brown shirt and a thin raincoat with red strips on it, and camouflage-coloured trousers made of the same flimsy material as the raincoat and heavy boots. I tied my hair up messily and pinned my Token (a small flower brooch) onto my shirt.

I ate as much food as possible and drank a lot too, before following orders and hurrying down to the floor where my stylist would say goodbye to me and see me into the pedestal tube. There she stood, wearing a lot of make-up, as I remember. She pulled the jacket further up my neck, pulled my fringe away from my eyes and whispered _good luck._

She signalled for me to get into the tube. I nodded, as I was not afraid, I was ready. As the number _10 _boomed in my ears, I grinned. My stylist looked shocked. The tube rose, and on 7, I could see the arena. I could already feel the biting wind racing across the space and could see the Cornucopia shining in the sun. The Careers would meet me at the Cornucopia and we'd leave from there, probably killing a few on the way. The adrenaline beat in my heart. _3,2… _I was ready.

_1!_

I felt my feet spring forward and I leapt off the pedestal, running at top speed towards the Cornucopia, picking up a knife, a backpack and a spear, guarding the bow and arrow. When the girl from 12 dived for them, I stabbed her. **BOOM.**

The Careers ran toward me. They cheered, shouting:

"Great kill, Tea!" I shuddered as Shine pronounced my name just as my mother had done at the reaping.

We stalked off, laughing. I had my knives and spear. Jewell was content with her bow and arrow and as for Shine, he had the other spear, a dagger and his muscles. Zale and Maria both had small knives. When Jewell and the tributes from 4 said they were going to kill some others, Shine and I agreed. Some time alone sounded great.

Shine stared at me with his perfect eyes. They had a golden tinge but were really blue.

"Tell me about yourself," he said. "I want to know."

I sat beside him, chattering on about my boring and dull life. He laughed and gasped at appropriate moments and then took his turn to tell me about his life. He was seventeen, and really went out searching for diamonds and other things when he should be focusing on school. He said girls clamoured after him, which I could imagine. But he'd said, he'd never loved any of them. Then he surprised me by saying 'not until I met you'

I blushed. He pulled a bronze strand of hair behind my ear and held my hand. I giggled foolishly, and he laughed.

"Your laugh is so sweet," he said. He stared at me again, his eyes piercing mine again. I gasped. Then he did something unexpected, he leant forward and kissed me.

It was so sweet, and it was the best moment of my life.


End file.
